


Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

by astoriaamalfoyy



Category: The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Children, Children of Characters, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Music, Post-Canon, Pregnancy, Singing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:00:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23786725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astoriaamalfoyy/pseuds/astoriaamalfoyy
Summary: It's long past their bedtimes, and Clary's children are nowhere to be found. However, there's still one place she hasn't checked yet...
Relationships: Clary Fray/Jace Wayland
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Clace Week on Tumblr. This was for day seven, for which the prompt was 'future.'

As the clock struck eight o’clock and the sun set over New York City, Clary Herondale still searched for her family. 

It was long past Adele and William’s bedtimes, by a half hour and in the few minutes Clary had left to use the restroom, they disappeared. Jace, she knew, was with their kids, hiding them away from bedtime. In fact, he sure did a good job of doing it…

Clary had searched everywhere: the kitchen, along with the formal dining room and living room. Both of the kid’s bedrooms, and the library. The training room, the weaponry, the greenhouse, the Sanctuary. Even her and Jace’s own bedroom and connected closet was searched. Still, they were nowhere to be found.

“Where could they be?” Clary mumbled, furrowing her eyebrows. “I’ve looked all over the Institute for them.”

Wait…there was one place she hadn’t gone to yet. The music room.

***

As Clary drew closer to the music room, she could hear the faint voice of Jace harmonizing with a soft tune being played on a piano. She should have known all along this was where they had been: Adele and Will both loved goodnight lullabies from their father. 

The door was slightly ajar, so Clary quietly stuck her head through the small crack to see Jace, Adele, and Will all sitting at the grand piano, together. Three-year-old Adele was mesmerized, watching Jace’s quick fingers glide across the white and black keys as almost two-year-old Will was slumped onto his older sister, exhausted from the long day previously. Jace was obviously playing the great instrument, singing a lullaby:

“Swing low, sweet chariot  
Comin' for to carry me home  
Swing low, sweet chariot  
Comin' for to carry me home

I looked over Jordan and what did I see  
Comin' for to carry me home  
A band of angels comin' after me  
Comin' for to carry me home

Swing low, sweet chariot  
Comin' for to carry me home  
Swing low, sweet chariot  
Comin' for to carry me home

If you get to heaven before I do  
Comin' for to carry me home  
Tell all my friends I'm comin' there too  
Comin' for to carry me home

Swing low, sweet chariot  
Comin' for to carry me home  
Swing low, sweet chariot  
Comin' for to carry me home

I'm sometimes up and sometimes down  
Comin' for to carry me home  
But still I know I'm heavenly (freedom) bound  
Comin' for to carry me home

Swing low, sweet chariot  
Comin' for to carry me home  
Swing low, sweet chariot  
Comin' for to carry me home

If I get there before you do  
Comin' for to carry me home  
I'll cut a hole and pull you through  
Comin' for to carry me home

Swing low, sweet chariot  
Comin' for to carry me home”

As Jace finished the lullaby, Adele and Will crept into Jace’s lap, laying their heads on his shoulders, fiery red waves and bouncy blonde curls bright against Jace’s black t-shirt. Clary slowly stepped through the doorway, and wanting to keep her children in a peaceful state, tried to not make a sound. Although, despite her best efforts, her husband heard her enter, then turning to her with a small smile.

“Hey, Clare,” he greeted, standing up off of the piano bench, balancing both children on his hips. Once noticing their mother, Adele and Will opened their eyes, grinning at Clary, happily.

“Momma!” exasperated Will, reaching out to her with his chubby toddler arms.

Clary smiled, taking Will into her arms. “Hi, baby,” she kissed his forehead softly. She peered upwards to Adele, adding, “hello, my sweetheart.”

“Hi, Mommy,” the little girl responded.

“Are you two ready for bed?” Clary addressed both young children. Adele shook her head, trying to convince her mother against the idea of sleep, while Will just yawned, leaning further into Clary’s shoulder blade, tiredly. She looked up to Jace. “I didn’t mean to break up the fun, but it’s bedtime.”

"I know: I finished lullaby time, anyways,” Jace nodded. “Let’s go tuck in the kiddos.”

“Hey,” Adele scrunched her nose as they left the music room together, “I’m a big girl…not a kiddo. That’s what Will is.”

“Yes, we know you’re a big girl, sweetie,” assured Clary. 

The little family of four made their way up the Institute stairs, Clary cradling a sleeping William and Jace carrying a grumbling Adele. The parents split up, Clary going to lay Will into his crib as Jace entered Adele’s bedroom, the little girl still positioned on his hip.

Adele huffed with annoyance. “Daddy, I’m not tired. I’m a big girl.”

“Even big girls need to go to bed, Adele,” he explained, placing the three-year-old in her bed. “Now, snuggle in and sleep.”

“Will you read me a story?” Adele asked, her eyes wide as she slipped underneath her Princess Ariel blanket. “Please?”

Jace’s expression softened. “Of course,” he replied with a smile. “What story do you want me to read?”

***

“That took you longer than expected,” Clary looked up from her sketchbook as Jace finally walked into their bedroom, almost twenty miniutes after she finished putting Will down.

“I know but you know Adele,” Jace replied, “she needs at least three stories before she’s asleep.”

Clary giggled. “I know,” she got out of bed, knowing her sketchbook on her nightstand. She wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck, pulling him close to her. “She’s adorable and I love her more than anything, but by the Angel, she sure is a lot of work.”

“You could say that again; her and Will both cause enough trouble to fuel a circus,” he kissed Clary’s temple softly. “But, nonetheless, I love them.”

“You know,” Clary spoke up, “before we had Adele, I never thought I’d be a mother. I never thought I’d be able to fully care for another human being or fully devote myself to someone else and their safety. But then I got pregnant with Adele and everything changed. I felt like she made everything that was bad in the world good. She lightened up our lives like sunshine. Then, we had Will, and all the feelings I had felt with Adele came back. It’s just...it’s just they make me so happy. I sometimes can’t believe we got this far, that we’ve lasted this long.”

“I understand what you mean,” Jace nodded. “I never thought I’d have anything to fight for…other than the Lightwoods, of course. Then a certain redhead came strolling into my life, turning it upside down. You changed me, Clary: for the better. You taught me that love wasn’t to destroy and that love is, in fact, happiness and devotion and passion. And when Adele and Will came into our lives, I suddenly wasn’t fighting to win anymore. I was fighting to survive, to come home to you and the kids every night. You, Adele, and Will are my life now: not the hunt, not the Clave or Council. You three are the reason I’m still here…you three are all the reasons for my happiness and devotion and passion,” Jace explained. “Clary, I love you three more than I could ever say.”

“I love you too, but I think you mean four, not three,” she corrected.

“What do you mean?” he asked, obviously confused.

Taking Jace’s hand and placing it on her swelling abdomen, Clary said: “I’m pregnant.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you want, kudos and comments are greatly appreciated and truly make my day. If not, I hope you have a great day and enjoyed the fic!
> 
> Check me out on [Tumblr!](https://emptysatellite.tumblr.com/)


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